Funeral and memorial service to be held on Friday in Hendon, London
PETALING JAYA: David Tan Piah Hoe, a Malaysian-born educator who went on to become a respected advocate for the Chinese community in the United Kingdom (UK), has passed away in London, aged 85.
Tan, a former Westminster City Council Chinese community officer, died on Jan 9. He was born on Dec 12, 1940.
Born in Cheras, Kajang, Tan received his early education at Kajang High School before embarking on a teaching career that would take him far beyond Malaysia’s shores.
In 1959, he was awarded a two-year government scholarship for teacher training at Kirkby College in Liverpool, a programme that produced many of Malaysia’s early English educators.
Upon returning home in 1961, Tan was posted to Terengganu, where he taught English and other subjects for five years.
His commitment to education did not end there. In 1966, he returned to London with hopes of studying law, but financial constraints forced him to take up a teaching post instead at Canon Barnett School in East London.
Tan returned briefly to Malaysia in 1970 to marry his longtime partner Anne Tay Kai Hwa, a nurse working in England at the time.
They later settled in the UK, where he devoted the remainder of his professional life to community service.
His work with the Chinese community formally began in 1985 at the Camden Chinese Community Centre, where he was tasked with overseeing the educational and welfare needs of Chinese students and their families across London.
His dedication and deep understanding of Eastern and Western cultures soon led to a pivotal role.
In 1990, Tan was appointed Westminster City Council Chinese community officer, a position that placed him at the heart of one of the largest Chinese populations in Europe.
At the time, census data showed more than 60,000 Chinese residents in London, a number that continued to grow with arrivals from Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and a new generation of British-born Chinese.
Beyond Westminster, Tan was frequently consulted on Chinese community affairs at the national level as the UK’s Chinese population reached about 150,000.
His portfolio spanned education, housing, welfare and immigration matters, as well as the upkeep and safety of London’s Chinatown.
He worked closely with restaurant owners on licensing and local government issues, and played a key role in organising major events, such as Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown and the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade.
He also hosted and facilitated official Westminster City Council functions and was known for his ability to bridge communities with diplomacy and quiet authority.
Tan maintained strong ties with Malaysia throughout his life.
In the 1990s, he worked with a Malaysian media group to bring Westminster City Council Living Skills trainers to Malaysia for a learning skills project.
He also played a role in linking the group with London’s West End, culminating in the staging of the musical Mamma Mia! in Malaysia in 2008.
Although he retired from Westminster City Council in 2012, Tan remained deeply engaged with the Chinese community, continuing to advise families on education and housing matters across central and northwest London.
Friends and family recall him as someone who never stopped caring, mentoring or keeping abreast of developments in Malaysia.
Tan leaves behind his wife, two children and two grandchildren.
His funeral and memorial service will be held on Friday in Hendon, London.
